


Life Is Full Of Surprises

by marinesworld



Category: Grey's Anatomy
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-11-05
Packaged: 2021-03-02 23:01:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,600
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24094759
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/marinesworld/pseuds/marinesworld
Summary: Two years after their first kiss on the roof, Meredith and Andrew are still very much in love. But what does life have to offer them?
Relationships: Meredith Grey/Andrew DeLuca
Comments: 30
Kudos: 71





	1. Two Years

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone! I am back with a new Merluca story! I hope this will help you deal with the long hiatus ahead of us. Enjoy reading!

Andrew and Meredith’s two-year anniversary was coming up. It had already been two years since that kiss on the roof. Two years since Andrew had taken Meredith’s heart. Two years since the beginning of an amazing journey. There had been some arguments and some disagreements along the way, that’s for sure, but those had only made their love stronger and they couldn’t be happier to have found one another. Andrew knew exactly what present he was going to get Meredith but he needed to make some arrangements first, and that included speaking to Maggie and Amelia.

Andrew and Meredith were at the hospital, they both had a busy schedule with several surgeries and many patients to take care of. Also, they were not on the same service this week so they knew that they would probably not see each other before the evening. Andrew’s shift had just ended so he went to the board to see if Meredith was finished. Unfortunately, he saw that she was still in surgery and that she would probably be for another couple hours. He had been looking forward to spending a quiet evening with her all day long and he hoped that she would not come home too late. _Home_. They had been living together for almost a year now and, though it took some adjustments at first, they were now perfectly happy with their decision. Andrew could still remember the day Meredith had asked him to move in with her and the kids.

**

It was his birthday and both Meredith and himself had taken a day-off so they could enjoy this day together. It was a beautiful day, the sun was shining bright and no clouds could be seen in the sky. Meredith had suggested going outside the city to take a walk and have a picnic, just the two of them, and Andrew had been thrilled by this idea. After almost an hour-drive, they finally arrived at their destination.

“What do you say we take the picnic basket with us and find a good spot to settle down?” Andrew asked her, getting out of the car.

“I say it’s a great idea” she replied, smiling.

Andrew took the basket and gave Meredith a tender kiss. She smiled into the kiss and Andrew could feel the butterflies in his stomach. Even after two years together, it always felt like he was kissing her for the first time and he couldn’t get enough of the feeling of her lips on his. After that sweet moment, Andrew wrapped his arm around Meredith’s shoulders and they started their search for a good picnic spot.

“You had a really great idea coming here, it’s perfect”

“Well, of course I did” Meredith said with a smirk. Andrew looked at her and laughed at her attitude, he was soon joined by Meredith. “More seriously, I thought it would be good to get out of the city and take in some fresh air, we’re always in a hurry with the hospital and the kids so I thought that we could take some time to relax and do something we never do. Plus, it’s your birthday so this day needs to be perfect”

Andrew tenderly kissed her forehead “As long as you’re with me, any moment is perfect”

Meredith stopped dead in her tracks and looked at Andrew “If you keep saying things like that, I will take you back home and we won’t get out of our bedroom”

Andrew laughed at what she had just said and he knew that she was serious. He loved her with all his heart and he couldn’t help but telling her how he felt, even if she found it cheesy sometimes.

“We’ll have plenty of time for that later but right now I want to enjoy this beautiful day outside with you” Andrew kissed her quickly and they kept on walking. After a few minutes, the two of them found a nice spot next to a tree overlooking the lake. They put down the blanket to be more comfortable, Andrew sat against the tree and Meredith leant against him, putting her head on his shoulder.

“It really is beautiful out here” she said. Just in front of them, we could see a lake with water so pure that it was almost transparent. The sun was shining and reflecting on the water. Birds were singing, which added a peaceful note to this relaxing day. Meredith was really happy to be here with Andrew, they were finally able to have an entire day to themselves: no hospital, no kids, no sister drama. Just the two of them and she couldn’t be happier.

“Yes, so beautiful. And it is also really quiet and relaxing, just everything we needed”

“Yeah, the last couple of days at the hospital have been pretty stressful so I’m really glad to be here with you and enjoy the silence”

“Me too” Andrew brought her closer to him and put his arms around her, making her feel safer than ever. Andrew’s arms had become her favourite place to be, a place where she felt protected and it was like she had always belonged there.

Andrew and Meredith finished their picnic in each other’s arms, taking in the fresh air and the warmth emanating from the sun.

“So, what do you want to do tonight?” Meredith asked her boyfriend.

“How about we watch a movie with the kids and eat popcorn?” Andrew really loved Meredith’s children and even considered them as his own children. He had become so accustomed to their presence in his life that he couldn’t imagine it without them. So, yes, the perfect evening for Andrew was one spent with the love of his life and her wonderful children.

“Sounds great. The kids will be thrilled! Watching a movie till late and eating sugar, you’ll make their day” Meredith said laughing and Andrew soon joined her.

After a few seconds, Meredith’s laugh faded and she slowly cleared her throat before turning around in order to face Andrew “I think it’s time for your birthday present, Dr. Deluca” Meredith’s words caught Andrew’s attention who gave her a curious look. He suddenly felt as excited as a 10-year-old boy waiting for his birthday present. He really couldn’t wait to see what his girlfriend had got him. He watched her reach for her handbag and take out a small envelop. She gently handed it to him and he could see that she was nervous for him to find out what was inside and he couldn’t help but think about how cute she looked. He took the envelop and read the inscription “Happy birthday handsome. I love you, Meredith” He looked at her and smiled, he knew that he would love his gift, whatever it was. He slowly opened the envelop and saw that there was a key inside. He looked at Meredith once again, this time with a puzzled look.

“Do you want to move in with us?” she finally asked. Andrew couldn’t believe what she had just asked him. She wanted him to live with her, with her children. _Like a family_.

“What? Are you serious?”

“Of course, I am. I talked with the kids and they were over the moon with the idea. We really want you to live with us. _I_ really want you to live with us” Meredith noticed the small tears forming in Andrew’s eyes and she felt the emotion overwhelming her body too. “So, what do you say?”

“I say yes. Yes, I want to live with you and the kids. I am so lucky to have you” Andrew took her in his arms and put his forehead against hers “I love you”

“I love you too” Meredith said before kissing him. It was a slow and tender kiss which showed all the love they had for one another. After a minute or so, Andrew slowly broke the kiss.

“You know, I think I had enough fresh air for the day. How about we go home and I’ll take you up on that proposition to stay in bed for the rest of the day?”

“I knew you wouldn’t be able to resist” she told him, smiling. Andrew laughed and got up, dragging Meredith along. He took the picnic basket and the blanket before running towards the car, with Meredith laughing behind him.

**

This was a birthday present which Andrew would never forget, and probably one of the best he had ever received. They had been living together for almost a year and those had been the best months of his life. Every time he came home in the evening, he was greeted by Meredith and the children and he always felt that wave of love. Andrew was interrupted in his thoughts by Maggie.

“Hey, Andrew. Have you seen Meredith?”

“Maggie! She’s still in surgery but I wanted to talk to you, actually”

“Sure. What is it?”

“Well, our two-year anniversary is next week and I want to take her on a trip to Italy to celebrate. I wanted to talk about it with you and Amelia to have your opinion”

“Wow, Italy, huh? I think it’s a great idea! She will love it” Maggie said sincerely, smiling.

“You think so? I really want this day to be special”

“Yes, I do. I’ll tell Amelia later but she will agree with me too. Oh, and don’t worry about the kids, we will take care of them!”

“Thank you so much, Maggie. I want everything to be planned so she won’t have to worry about a thing” Andrew was so thankful to Maggie and Amelia, he knew that Meredith would be reassured to know that her kids were watched by her sisters and that this was the only way for her to fully enjoy this trip.

“It’s no problem. She is really lucky to have you, you know?”

“Trust me, I’m the lucky one” Andrew said. “OK, I’m going home. Thanks again, Maggie!” She gave him a smile before they each went a different way.

Andrew got home and made dinner for him and the kids, knowing that Meredith would not be home before late. They all had a pleasant dinner, with the kids telling Andrew about their day at school and laughs from time to time. The kids then went to bed, not without asking Andrew to read them a story. A few minutes later, Andrew was in bed with his computer and he began looking for plane tickets for him and Meredith. He also opened another web page, an idea popping into his mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this first chapter. Feel free to leave kudos or comments, it is always a pleasure to read your opinion ;)  
> I'll see you in a few days for chapter two! In the meantime, stay safe.


	2. Planning the trip

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew continues to plan the trip to Italy and finally gives it to Meredith, a little anxious about her reaction...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here is chapter two! I hope you will like it!

Andrew had been doing some research for almost an hour when Meredith got home. He heard her coming upstairs and then heard the sound of doors opening and closing and just assumed that she was checking on her kids. Seconds later, she finally entered the bedroom and threw herself on the bed, heaving a heavy sigh.

“Hey, everything okay?” Andrew closed the computer and laid down next to her. He could see how tired she was and could only imagine how relieved she must be to finally be home.

“Yes, just had a long day and I’m exhausted” Andrew slowly kissed her on the cheek and put his arm around her waist. Meredith closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling of his hand on her and the fact that she could finally relax. “How was your day?”

“It was good. I had a busy day too but I finished a few hours ago. I wanted to wait for you after my shift but I saw that you would be out late so I just came home to the kids”

Meredith turned her head to look at him. He had such beautiful eyes in which she could get lost for hours. She brought her hand to his cheek and gently stroked it. “Thank you for them”

Andrew smiled. “You know I love spending time with them”

“And they love it too” Andrew leaned towards Meredith and kissed her, a tender way to show her how grateful he was to have all four of them in his life. After a few seconds, he broke the kiss.

“So, we have some leftovers, do you want me to heat up some?”

“I don’t even know if I have the energy to eat” Meredith said, yawning.

“I know but you need to eat something, Mer. I bet you didn’t even have lunch today” By the way she looked at him, he knew he was right.

“Okay, you win. I’ll take a quick shower while you go downstairs” She gave him a quick peck on the lips and headed to the bathroom.

Andrew and Meredith spent a quiet evening in bed but exhaustion soon caught up with Meredith who fell asleep in her boyfriend’s arms, her safe place. The next morning, the two of them and the kids all had breakfast together. The kids were really happy to see their mother, given the fact that they were already asleep when she came home the previous night. After a nice moment together and lots of laughs, Meredith and Andrew dropped the kids to school before heading to the hospital.

“Are you free for lunch today?” Andrew asked, getting out of the car.

“I’m in the lab today so I’m all yours”

Andrew smiled and wrapped his arms around her waist “That’s good to know” Meredith gave him a mischievous look before slowly kissing him. Before things got too heated, Meredith broke the kiss and brought her lips to Andrew’s ear “See you later, doctor” She finally let go of him and winked at him before entering the hospital. Andrew watched her walk away, smiling like an idiot. _That woman is going to be the death of me_ , he thought.  
After entering the hospital, Andrew immediately headed towards Bailey’s office. He absolutely needed Bailey’s approbation to plan the trip he wanted to offer Meredith. A part of him felt anxious. He really wanted to go to Italy with his girlfriend and make her discover that country he loved so much. He wanted to take her to his home town and introduce her to his family, show them how much this woman meant to him and how happy she made him every day.

Andrew took a deep breath and knocked on the door “Come in” he heard.

“Hello, Dr.Bailey, I need to talk to you”

“What is it, Deluca?”

“Well, hum… I wanted to know if Dr.Grey and I could have some days off” Andrew nervously looked at Bailey, afraid to hear her answer.

Bailey was surprised “May I know the reason why?”

“I want to take her on a trip to Italy for our anniversary” Andrew had no idea what she would say so he decided to play the pity card before she could say anything “Everything else is planned, I only need your consent to make it happen”

“Kinds of looks like you’re giving me no choice, Deluca”

Andrew started to panic a little “No, no, I would never-“

“I’m just playing you, Deluca. You both can have days off”

“Really?” Andrew couldn’t believe that she would say yes so easily. He had prepared himself to negotiations and even begging but, apparently, none of that would be necessary. “Thank you so much, Dr.Bailey. We owe you a present from Italy” he said, smiling from ear to ear.

“You better bring me one, Deluca” she replied with a faint smile. Andrew nodded and was heading for the door when he stopped and turned around “Oh by the way! Please don’t tell Meredith about it, she doesn’t know yet”

“Your secret is safe with me”

“Thank you. I’m gonna get to work now” With that, he left the room, happy and relieved to know that the trip would be able to happen. He couldn’t wait to have a few days alone with Meredith and show her how beautiful his home country was. Now, he could really focus on planning the trip and think about the way he would announce it to Meredith.

**

A few days later, Andrew and Meredith had invited Maggie, Amelia and Link to have dinner with them and the kids. Meredith needed to spend some time with her sisters, she had been missing them a lot since they had both moved out of the house. Amelia now lived with Link and their wonderful little boy, and Maggie had decided to find her own place just after Andrew had moved in with Meredith.  
The adults spent the evening chatting and catching up on the things happening in their life. Meredith was really happy to be surrounded by the people she loved, and she loved watching Andrew interact with her sisters and seeing them all laugh. Those moments really warmed her heart. At some point in the evening, the children begged the adults to play a game and the house was soon filled with laughs and screams of victory. After almost two hours, Meredith decided that the kids had stayed up long enough.

“Come on kids, time for bed!”

“Mommy, please, we want to keep playing with you” little Ellis said.

“Yes, mommy, please!” Bailey also said.

“Sorry guys but it is way past your bed time. Say good night to everyone and go brush your teeth. I’ll be up in a minute” The kids agreed against their will and each gave a kiss to their aunties, Link and Andrew before heading upstairs.

“You can stay a little longer if you want” she said to her guests. “I’m just going to tuck them in and I’ll be right back”

“Do you want me to read them a story?” Andrew asked before she left.

“No don’t worry, I got it. You stay here and enjoy the company” she replied, smiling.

“Okay” At that, Meredith got up and kissed Andrew on the cheek before heading for the stairs. Amelia and Maggie watched the scene and looked at one another with a smile. They were really glad to see her sister so happy and radiant. Andrew changed her life for the better and it was the first time that Meredith looked this happy since Derek’s death. She had stayed alone for a long time and meeting Andrew was the best thing that had happened to her in years. He was so considerate and sweet with her, always protecting her and treating her like she was the most precious thing in the world. Honestly, her sisters couldn’t be more grateful to Andrew for making their sister so happy.

“So, Andrew, how is the trip planning going?” Maggie asked after making sure that Meredith was out of sight.

“Everything is ready. I went to Bailey’s office a few days ago and she both gave us a few days off so we’re good. I booked the plane tickets and I found a nice hotel for us to stay. We’re leaving in two days”

“That’s great! She is going to love it” Amelia said.

“For sure! When are you going to tell her?”

“I was thinking of doing it tonight. I wanted to wait as much as possible but I think she needs to know now”

“Good idea. That way she will have time to pack and get organised before you leave”

“Yeah, exactly” Andrew replied. A few seconds later, all four of them heard footsteps coming from the stairs and decided to change the subject.

“So, Link, I heard a funny story about you singing and dancing with your son?” Maggie improvised, not knowing what to talk about.

Link looked at Amelia who started to laugh a little “Sorry, honey” she said, taking his hand in hers, still laughing.

“Well, my baby boy really loves dancing with his dad” Link was really proud to talk about his life as a father and he would never get tired of talking about him.

All the while, Meredith made her way into the living room “What are you guys talking about?”

“We are talking about daddy Link dancing with his son” Andrew replied.

“Oh, I saw the video. It’s really cute”

Link gasped and turned towards Amelia “You took a video?”

“I couldn’t help myself! You guys were so cute. And you know, we need to make memories of those moments. Soon he’ll go to college and it will be too late” Amelia defended herself.

“Yeah, they grow up so fast” Meredith said, putting her head on Andrew’s shoulder and wrapping her arm around his. Andrew tenderly kissed Meredith’s forehead.

“OK, guys, stop with the sadness! Let’s do something fun!” Maggie finally suggested.

An hour later, the house was cleared and all four adults had decided to call it a night. Maggie, Amelia and Link left the house, not without thanking the couple for a wonderful evening, and headed home. Andrew and Meredith immediately went to bed, tired from the day. While Meredith was in the bathroom, Andrew retrieved a little envelop from his backpack and suddenly felt a little anxious about Meredith’s reaction. What if she didn’t like it? What if she was afraid to go? A million questions were popping in his mind when Meredith got out of the bathroom. She looked at Andrew and saw that he was somewhere else, not even noticing her presence in the room.

“Andrew? Are you okay?” She placed herself on the bed next to him.

“Hum? Oh, yes, I’m fine. I was just thinking” he answered, giving her a smile.

“Are you sure? You know you can tell me everything”

Andrew looked at her and he could see the confusion in her eyes. _Now’s the time_ , he thought. “Actually, I need to give you something”

“Okay…” she hesitantly said, nervousness growing inside of her.

Andrew reached for the envelop and gave it to Meredith. She took it and read the inscription “Happy anniversary, bella. Love, Andrew” She looked at him “Our anniversary is only in a few days”

“I know, but consider this an early present. Come on, open it!” Meredith could see that he looked excited but also a little nervous. She slowly opened the envelop and saw two plane tickets inside of it. Tickets from Seattle to Rome. She smiled and looked at him once again. “We’re going to Italy?”

“Yes. I wanted to do something special to celebrate our two years together. Everything is settled, the kids will stay with your sisters and Bailey gave us some days off. You have nothing to worry about”

“Wow. I… I don’t know what to say. This is amazing!”

“Really? You like it?” Andrew felt a wave of relief wash over him.

“Of course, I do! Thank you, you really are the best” She leaned towards him and slowly kissed him. She broke the kiss a few seconds later. “I love you”

“I love you too” Andrew replied before kissing her again. Things escalated quickly and the two of them shared a night of love and passion before falling asleep in each other’s arms, dreaming about their upcoming trip together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you guys think ? Let me know with kudos or comments, I really appreciate them :) see you next week for the next chapter! Stay safe.


	3. Time to go

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Andrew and Meredith leave for Italy but Andrew suddenly remembers Meredith's fear of planes...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope everyone is doing okay. Here's chapter three, I hope you will like it! Enjoy!

Two days later, Meredith and Andrew were almost ready to leave for the airport. Suitcases were closed and already put in the car boot. Bags were ready. Shoes were on. The last thing Meredith and Andrew needed to do was say goodbye to the kids. Meredith didn’t like being away from her kids, she knew that they would facetime every day but it was still hard for her. She tried to find comfort in the fact that she was leaving with Andrew and she knew that he would be there for her whenever she needed it.

“I’m going to miss you so much babies” Meredith said, holding her children in her arms.

“We’ll miss you too” The three little children hugged their mother for a few seconds, enjoying this little moment of happiness. The children then detached themselves from Meredith and made their way towards Andrew, who was watching the scene from a distance. Ellis was the first one to reach for Andrew, he got on his knee in order to be at her level. “We will miss you too, Drew” She then wrapped her little arms around his neck. Andrew looked at Meredith who was smiling and tearing up a little at the scene unfolding before her. Soon, Zola and Bailey joined her little sister and the four of them engaged in a group hug. In those moments, Andrew really felt part of Meredith’s life and he couldn’t imagine his life being any other way. He loved those people so much that it hurt.

“Sorry guys but we need to go” Maggie said, breaking the moment. Andrew got up and joined Meredith, taking her hand in his and giving her a tender kiss on the forehead.

“OK kids, we will call you every day. Be good to Auntie Maggie and Auntie Amelia, ok?”

“Don’t worry, mom. Enjoy your trip” Zola finally said before they left the house.

Andrew, Meredith and Maggie arrived at the airport 40 minutes later. The couple thanked Maggie before getting out of the car and entering the airport. They got through customs and security check without any problem and headed towards the gate for their flight. Meredith sat down next to Andrew and put her head on his shoulder.

“I can’t wait to be in Italy with you”

Andrew took her hand and slowly brought a kiss to it. “Same here. I want to make every moment count. We are going to have all the time in the world and I want to enjoy this trip to the fullest”

“We will. I have a feeling that this trip is going to be memorable. I’m so excited!”

“Me too. I can’t wait for you to discover how wonderful Italy is. The landscapes, the food, the music… Everything. The Italian life is pretty great, you’ll see”

“Well, I do have the perfect guide with me” She looked at him with a big smile. Andrew would never get tired of seeing her smile, she always looked so cute and beautiful. Andrew let out a little laugh. “Not to brag or anything but, yes, you do” She laughed and pressed a kiss on his lips before putting her head back on his shoulder.

_All passengers travelling to Rome on flight FR3421 please have your boarding passes and passports ready. Boarding is about to start._

“Ready to go?” Andrew asked Meredith when they got up.

“More than ever”

The couple collected their things and got in line for boarding. A few minutes later, the both of them were settled in the plane. Meredith was in the seat next to the window and Andrew was just next to her, in the middle seat. After some time, the plane started to move and Meredith started to feel panic rise in her. Flashbacks from the day of the plane crash came back to her, losing her sister, losing Mark… And almost losing her husband. She bluntly grabbed the armrest of her seat and looked out the window, noticing that they would soon take off. She tried to take slow deep breath as to not alert Andrew about her current state but it was too late, he had already noticed.

“Are you okay?” he asked.

“Yeah, I just… don’t like planes at all” she replied, letting out a nervous laugh.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry Mer, I didn’t even think about-“

“Hey, don’t worry, it’s not your fault, okay?” She looked at him and fainted a smile to reassure him. Andrew was not really convinced but he decided to let it go, the last thing she needed right now was a fight.

“Okay” He grabbed the hand which was on the armrest and took it in his. “But I’m taking your hand and just know that you can squeeze mine as much as you want”

“Thank you, it’s really sweet of you”

“Anytime”

With that, Meredith went back to focusing on her breathing. Suddenly, she heard the engine going louder and louder and she knew that the plane was about to take off any second now. She squeezed Andrew’s hand and looked at the floor so that she wouldn’t see what was happening outside the window. She was just too afraid to look. When the plane started going up in the air, she put her head on Andrew’s shoulder and buried her head in his chest. Right now, she needed to feel Andrew’s body against hers, she needed comfort and she knew that she could find it in Andrew. As soon as the plane stabilized, Andrew felt Meredith move and noticed that she was breathing more calmly than before.

“Are you feeling better?” Andrew finally asked her.

“Yes, I am. I don’t feel at ease being in the air but take-off and landing are the worst for me, I’m always worried that something will go wrong and I really don’t like the feeling”

“This must be tough for you. I’m sorry you had to go through that”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine now. You helped me a lot.” She turned towards him and brought her hand to his cheek “Thank you”

Andrew smiled “No problem, Mer” he replied before kissing her. Meredith returned his kiss, relaxing a little. Eventually, she fell asleep in Andrew’s arms, feeling safer than ever. Andrew looked at her and he couldn’t help but feel relief seeing her sleep. He had been so worried about her during her panic attack, but he had also felt really guilty for it. He should have remembered that Meredith had gone through a plane crash a few years back and that she was terrified of planes. He should have protected her more. After some time, Andrew eventually felt his eyelid grow heavier and fell asleep, his head put on his girlfriend’s.  
A few hours later, they were one hour away from landing in Rome. Andrew had slept a little during the flight but he had spent most of his time watching Meredith, making sure she was okay. He decided to wake her up, knowing that landing would start soon.

Andrew slowly stroked her cheek and planted a kiss on her forehead. “Hey sleepyhead, time to wake up” He felt Meredith stir a little before she opened her eyes and looked at him. She had a mark from Andrew’s shirt on her cheek, which he found really cute.

“Did I sleep the entire time?”

“Almost, yeah. We’ll be in Rome in less than an hour but I wanted to wake you up before landing started”

“Thank you” she said, giving him a kiss on the cheek. “Did you get some sleep?”

“Yes, I slept a little but I mostly looked at you. I wanted to make sure you were alright”

“In your arms, always” she replied. “You should have slept some more if you wanted to”

“Don’t worry, I’m fine. I’ll get some sleep later” He grabbed her hand and kissed it tenderly.

“You feel guilty because of my fear of planes, don’t you?”

“Yeah… a little. I should have known better. I should have picked a place closer to home so that we could have driven there” He started looking down while pronouncing those words.

“And die in a car crash because we would be too tired to drive? No thanks” she stated. She looked at Andrew and saw that he was looking down like he was ashamed. She put her hand on his cheek and turned his head so that he could look at her. “Andrew, look at me. You don’t have to feel guilty, okay? Yes, I’m afraid of planes but it’s not your fault, and I came anyway because I love you and because I want to go to Italy with you and discover some parts of you that I don’t know yet”

Andrew looked at her and smiled “Okay, I promise I’ll stop. I’m glad to be here with you and I love you too” At that, Meredith came closer to him and kissed him, putting all the love she had for him in that kiss.

**

Two hours later, Meredith and Andrew arrived at the hotel. Landing had gone a little more smoothly than take off. Meredith had been more relaxed and Andrew had talked to her about Italy and some of the things he had planned to do, which had helped her getting her mind off the plane.  
As soon as they arrived, Meredith and Andrew headed to their room so that they could drop their luggage off and rest for a bit. When they entered their room, Meredith immediately felt captivated by how beautiful it was.

“Oh my god, Andrew, it’s beautiful! And look at the view!” she said, running to the window like a child who was excited to see something for the first time.

Andrew joined her on the balcony and wrapped her arms around her from behind. “I’m glad you like it. When I saw it on the website, I knew it was the place to come to”

Meredith put her head on Andrew’s chest as she brought her hands on his arms and gently stroked them. “You had a brilliant idea. It is perfect”

“Anything for you” Andrew planted a kiss on her forehead and let out a contented sigh. The couple stayed in each other’s arms for a moment, taking in the beauty of the landscape in front of them. After a few minutes, Meredith broke the silence.

“What time is it in Seattle?”

“It’s probably the beginning of the night. Did you want to call the kids?”

“Yes, just wanted to hear their voices and talk to them a little. I guess I’ll have to wait a few more hours” she said, a bit sad.

“Sorry, Mer. We’ll call them tonight, I promise” Andrew kissed her cheek to bring her comfort. He knew that she was having a hard time being so far away from her kids.

“Thank you. I’m going to send a text to Maggie to let her know we are at the hotel” she gave Andrew a quick kiss before heading back inside the room and grabbing her phone.  
When she was done, Andrew suggested to go have breakfast in a small café near the hotel before they would start visiting the city. The couple left the hotel hand in hand a few minutes later, looking forward to discovering this wonderful city.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What did you think? let me know :) I will see you next week for the next chapter! In the meantime, take care!


	4. Family Time

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith and Andrew visit Rome and Meredith meets Andrew's family for the first time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! I hope you're all doing well. Here is chapter 4!  
> So, there will be some Italian sentences in this chapter. I currently study Italian at university but I'm still a beginner so I apologize if there are any mistakes! Enjoy!

It was a beautiful day and Andrew and Meredith were visiting Rome. Andrew had already been there a few times so he had become a sort of guide during their trip. He knew the best places to eat or to relax and have a drink, for the enjoyment of Meredith who could not have wished for a better person than Andrew to discover Italy. It was her first time in the country and she found herself blown away by the beauty of it, it was even more beautiful than what she had imagined, and she knew that the other places they were going to visit would be as magnificent.  
Meredith and Andrew entered a small park and decided to sit down for a moment. Meredith leaned against Andrew and enjoyed this moment of calm and tranquillity, she had nothing to worry about for the first time in god knows how long and it felt pretty good.

“So, how do you like the city so far?” Andrew asked her, breaking the silence.

“I love it. It is so beautiful, Andrew. I knew Italy was a beautiful country but, seeing it with my own eyes, it’s amazing. I’m so glad you decided to come here for our anniversary”

“If you like it, then I’m happy” he said, before planting a kiss on her forehead. Meredith closed her eyes for a moment and relaxed under Andrew’s touch. He was so perfect with her and sometimes she even wondered how she got so lucky to have him in her life. He was always protecting her and making sure she was happy and contented. Every time he did something, you could feel all the love he had for her and she knew that he would do anything for her, because he had already did, several times. She had never thought she would love again after Derek’s death but then Andrew had made his way into her life and she had learned to enjoy his company, until she had fallen in love with him. And now, here they were, taking their first trip together.

“So, what did you plan for this afternoon?”

“Well, I have family living in a village not far from here… I was thinking maybe I can show you around and then we can go and say hi to them? What do you think?”

Meredith sit up straight and looked at Andrew, not knowing what to say. Of course she wanted to meet Andrew’s family, but what if they didn’t like her? What if she wasn’t good enough for him?  
Andrew looked at her and saw that she was confused. Well, he wasn’t sure what she was thinking but she certainly didn’t have a smile on her face.

“Are you okay? If you don’t want to go, we can stay here”

“What? No, sorry, I want to, it’s just… maybe they won’t like me or maybe they will think that I am not good enough for you or-“

“Mer, stop” he cut her off and took her hands in his. “I’m sure they will love you, just like I do. And they already know about you, I call them from time to time and we always talk about you at some point. You know, last time my _zia_ told me that she was looking forward to meeting you”

“Really?” she asked with a little smile.

“Yes, really. You have nothing to worry about, it is going to be fine” he replied, gently stroking her cheek to reassure her. She relaxed against his touch and saw that he was looking at her, smiling from ear to ear, and she knew that he was right. She decided to put her fear aside and enjoy the moment.

“Okay. I guess we should be going then” Before she had the opportunity to say anything else, she felt lips pressed against hers. She returned the kiss and the two of them stayed in their little bubble before Andrew eventually broke the kiss.

“Thank you” Meredith smiled and kissed him one last time before they got up and headed back to the hotel. Meredith wanted to change her clothes and freshen up a little before meeting Andrew’s family in order to give a good impression.

“You know you look beautiful with any clothes on, right?” Andrew came behind her while she was looking at herself in the mirror. He wrapped his arms around her waist and put his hand on her shoulder.

“Andrew, you’re not really objective, you know? Plus, I want to look nice for your family. The first impression is really important”

“Well, what can I say, you’re always beautiful to me” he replied before kissing her cheek and letting go of her to sit on the bed. Meredith looked at him in the mirror. “I love you”

“I love you too. Ready to go?”

“Yeah, let’s go” Andrew took Meredith’s hand and they left the hotel.

**

About an hour later, Meredith and Andrew arrived in the village where Andrew’s family lived. Andrew first gave her a tour and Meredith instantly fell in love with the place. It was a typical Italian village with coloured houses and small streets which Meredith found really cute. On top of that, the sun was shining bright, which made the village look even more magnificent. Andrew loved seeing Meredith so fascinated and he couldn’t be happier to notice that she loved his home country so much.

“I guess we’ve seen pretty much all of it, ready to go meet my family?”

Meredith took a deep breath “Yes, let’s go”

A few minutes later, the couple was outside the house. Andrew kissed Meredith’s hand and told her that everything would be fine before they knocked on the door.

“Andrea! Mio nipote!” (Andrew! My nephew!)

“Buongiorno, zia. Che piacere vederti! Come stai?” (Hi, auntie. What a pleasure to see you! How are you?)

“Sono bene, grazie. E chi è questa bellissima donna?” (I’m fine, thanks. And who is this beautiful woman?)

“E la mia ragazza” (She is my girlfriend) Meredith looked at Andrew’s aunt and decided to introduce herself.

“Buongiorno, signora. Mi chiamo Meredith” (Hello, ma’am. My name is Meredith) she said with a smile. Andrew’s aunt returned the smile and looked surprised when she heard Meredith speak Italian.

“Parli italiano?” (You speak Italian?)

“Solo un po’” (Only a little) she replied.

Andrew’s aunt let out a little laugh before reassuring Meredith “Don’t worry, we will talk English too so you can understand. Entra” With that, she opened the door completely so that the couple could enter the house.

“Tutti, Andrea é qui!” (Everyone, Andrew is here)

Andrew made his way towards his aunts and uncles, never letting go of Meredith’s hand so that he could introduce her to everyone. Andrew’s family was really glad to meet Meredith and they all gave her a warm welcome, making her feel like she had always belonged there. After the introductions were done, everyone sat down for coffee and biscuits.

“So, Meredith, it’s really nice to meet you. Andrea told us so much about you”

She looked at Andrew and smiled “He did, huh?”

“ _Si_ , we have never seen him so happy with a woman. Every time he calls us, the conversation drifts to you and your kids”

“Well, your nephew makes me really happy too. He’s wonderful” she said before putting her head on Andrew’s shoulder. This move was soon followed by a wave of “aww” which made Meredith blush a little.

“You two look really cute and I understand what Andrea sees in you” one of Andrew’s aunt said.

“Thank you, zia. I’m so lucky” he replied before planting a kiss on her forehead.

“What do you think of Italy, so far?” Andrew’s uncle asked Meredith.

“I really love it. It is such a beautiful country, and the way of living is so different from the one in the States. You’re really lucky to live here”

“You’re welcomed to come here whenever you want, bella”

Andrew and Meredith stayed a couple more hours with his family before they had to head back to the hotel so that they could call the kids. The couple had a really good time and Meredith had got along very well with Andrew’s family. She had been afraid to meet them but these people had welcomed her in a way she never thought possible. She had only met them a few hours ago but she already liked them a lot. Moments like these really made her feel like part of Andrew’s family, part of his life.  
When they arrived at the hotel, Andrew and Meredith went into their room and grabbed the tablet to call the kids. After a few seconds, they answered the call and Meredith was finally able to see her kids’ faces. It felt so good to see them, Andrew and her had been in Italy for only a day but she missed them a lot.

“Hi babies! How are you?” Meredith smiled and observed her kids. Zola was sitting on the couch with little Ellis on her lap and Bailey was sitting next to her. She found them really cute.

“We’re good but we miss you a lot” Zola said before her siblings nodded.

“Oh, I miss you too my loves. Don’t worry, we’ll be back before you know it!”

“Drew! I need to show you my drawing” Ellis got off the couch and ran to the kitchen table where her drawing stood. She came back and put her drawing in front of the camera. “See, there is Zola, Bailey, mommy, you and me”

Meredith looked at her daughter’s drawing and felt very moved by the gesture. Andrew was becoming a big part in her kids’ life and, thanks to him, they had found a family balance again. She looked at him with a smile and saw him tearing up a little. He was suddenly filled with emotion and was at a loss of words, he loved those kids so much and this small gesture made him feel really important. More than he could ever have asked.

“Drew, why are you crying? You don’t like my drawing?” Ellis was started to get worried seeing Andrew cry.

“No, baby, Andrew loves your drawing. He is crying because he is happy, right Andrew?” she turned her head towards him. Andrew simply nodded, still being in the impossibility to answer. Meredith kissed him on the cheek and wiped away the happy tears falling on his face.

“Thank you, princess” he finally said after the emotion had faded a little.

“Hey, where’s auntie Maggie?”

“I am here, Mer! Hey, Andrew! How is it going?”

“Everything is going fine. It is so beautiful here, Maggie! We visited Rome this morning and then we visited Andrew’s family. We had a really good time”

“That’s great, I’m happy for the two of you”

Meredith and Andrew kept chatting with Maggie and the kids before they decided to end the call. The rest of the evening went smoothly, the couple ordered dinner in their room so that they could have some peace and quiet after their long day. They had not slept since the flight and fatigue was starting to overcome their bodies. Some time later, they fell asleep in each other’s arms, knowing that the following day would be an exciting one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you liked this new chapter! Tell me what you think, it means a lot to me :) stay safe and see you next week!


	5. Happy anniversary

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith and Andrew spend their anniversary at the sea and Andrew has a surprise for his girl...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Here is chapter five, I hope you will like it! Oh, by the way, I just changed the rating from G to M because there will be some adult content in this chapter and probably in other chapters... enjoy!

Today was Andrew and Meredith’s two-year anniversary. Two years had passed since they had shared their first kiss on the hospital roof after Garrett and Natasha’s wedding. It had taken time to get there, especially on Meredith’s side, but she had never regretted her choice. In fact, this might be one of the best choices she had ever made.  
It was morning and the couple was still in bed. Andrew was the first to wake up and he saw that Meredith was still asleep, her breathing calm and steady. He took the opportunity to examine her. She had a little smile on her lips, which probably meant that she was dreaming of something nice, and she had a brand of hair in the middle of her face. Andrew loved watching Meredith sleep, he always found her so beautiful and so peaceful. This morning, in particular, he found her even more relaxed than usual, guess he had the trip to thank for that. Andrew reached out to caress Meredith’s cheek a little, which made her stir.

“Good morning, amore mio” Andrew said with a smile.

Meredith opened her eyes and saw Andrew standing slightly above her “Good morning” she replied, returning his smile. Andrew slowly bent down to capture her lips. A slow and gentle kiss, full of love. After only a few seconds, Andrew broke the kiss.

“Happy anniversary” he said.

“Happy anniversary” she replied with a smile. “What should we do to celebrate?”

“I think I have an idea..” Andrew looked at her with a smirk and Meredith couldn’t help but smile.

“Oh yeah?”

Andrew went back to kissing her but this time the kiss felt a little more desperate. Things got heated quickly and soon Meredith removed Andrew’s shirt, allowing her hands to travel along his bare chest. She loved touching his skin and feeling her abs, she always felt protected in his arms. A moment later, Andrew removed Meredith’s shirt and buried his face in her breasts. He took one in his mouth and started sucking on it, which sent Meredith to the edge.

“Andrew” she slowly moaned. She would never get tired of the way he pleasured her. She soon felt him take care of her other breast and she could hardly breathe at the feeling. She tugged at his curly hair while feeling the desire overcoming her whole body.

“Andrew, I need you, now” she desperately said. She needed to feel him, she needed the contact, she needed him. Right now.

“Wait a little longer, my love” Andrew said, not even stopping to look at her. After that, he started kissing her all the way down until he reached her panties. He wasted no time and immediately removed them so he could pleasure her some more. He planted little kisses along her thighs before slipping one finger inside of her, and another…

“Oh my god, Andrew!” Meredith said when she felt her orgasm build up. She bluntly grabbed the bed sheet and held onto it. While keeping his fingers inside of her, Andrew raised his head and crashed his lips on hers. Meredith felt that she was coming and she started moaning loudly against Andrew’s lips. A few seconds later, she finally came.

“Okay, enough with the teasing. I want you. Right now” she said after she got a grip on herself.

“Anything you want, Dr. Grey” He knew that calling her by her last name would make her even more turned on than she already was. Andrew removed his boxer and positioned himself at Meredith’s entrance. He slowly entered her, careful not to hurt her and waited for her to adjust. As soon as he felt her being more comfortable, he increased the pace and felt waves of pleasure hitting him. He kissed Meredith’s neck, gently sucking on it while she put her hands on his back and planted her nails into it. Soon, their bodies united and the only thing that could be heard in the room were moans of pleasure. Two people in love becoming one for a moment. They found the perfect rhythm and soon screamed each other’s names after being sent over the edge. Andrew collapsed next to Meredith who snuggled up to him, planting a kiss on his chest.

“That was… amazing” she finally said when she was able to breathe again.

“Yeah, it was. The perfect way to start a perfect day” he replied, kissing her forehead.

“Hm, hmm” Meredith closed her eyes and simply enjoyed the feeling of being in Andrew’s arms after their lovemaking. She always cherished those tender moments when she could relax against him and listen to his heartbeat slowing down. Soon, the two of them fell back asleep in each other’s arms.

**

Two hours later, Meredith and Andrew were having breakfast in bed. They were taking their time to eat and enjoying every second of it. Moments like these were really precious and they wanted to make the most of them.

“So, what do you want to do today?” Andrew asked Meredith.

“I don’t know… Did you have something in mind?”

“Actually, yes. How about we go to the sea?”

Meredith looked at him with a smile. “This is a great idea, Andrew. I love the sea!” she replied, excited.

Andrew observed her reaction and couldn’t help but smile when he saw how excited she was. She looked like a little girl who was excited to receive something. “Alright, it’s settled then”

Meredith came closer to him and kissed him gently. “I can’t wait”

After eating their breakfast, Meredith and Andrew got ready for the day. Meredith was really happy, she felt like she hadn’t been to the sea in ages and she couldn’t wait to spend the day there, especially with Andrew. He always had brilliant ideas on activities to do and she knew that he would do anything to make her happy and contented. With him, she felt loved, desired and protected.  
The drive to the sea was pretty cheery with Meredith and Andrew listening to music and singing along. Several times, Meredith expressed her fascination for the beautiful Italian landscapes going by, which made Andrew laugh, amused to see his girlfriend so amazed. About an hour later, the couple arrived at the beach.

“Do you want to go to the beach now or take a walk in the city first?”

“Maybe we can take a walk and find something to eat on the beach?” Meredith suggested.

“Fine by me! Let’s go”

They got out of the car and went to visit the city. It was bigger than the village they had visited the day before but the style was pretty much the same. There were colored houses, flowered paved streets and small cafés and restaurants which made the city look like a magical place. Meredith and Andrew were walking hand in hand, with Meredith putting her head on Andrew’s shoulder from time to time. This place really was the perfect one for a romantic day.  
After wandering in the city, the couple decided to buy sandwiches so that they could eat on the beach. Meredith was still really excited, the only thing she wanted was to sit on the sand, feel the softness of it on her feet and admire the sea. She could look at it for hours. Their food taken, Meredith and Andrew headed to the beach and found a quiet spot behind the rocks where they could be alone without being disturbed by other people. Meredith sat down and took sand between her hands, gently playing with it while Andrew was looking at her, amused. He made her way towards her and sat down behind her, wrapping his arms around her small figure.

“Having fun?” he asked her, founding her behavior funny but also really cute.

“You have no idea” she replied, smiling and laughing a little. She then relaxed against Andrew and sighed contently. “It feels so good to be here. You had a great idea”

“Well, I knew you would like it and it was the perfect opportunity to come here. Plus, it is one of my favorite places in the world”

“I can only imagine why. It’s so beautiful and peaceful”

“Yeah, I loved coming here with Carina when I was young. It was sort of my special place where I could forget what was happening at home, you know… with my dad and all”

Meredith put her hands on his arms and stroked them a little as a way to bring him comfort. “I’m sorry you had to go through that. It must have been hard”

“It was not always easy but there were good times too, and I had my sister, she took care of me and always made sure I was protected from all this”

“Your sister is a good person. You’re lucky to have her”

“Yeah, I know. And do you know who else I’m lucky to have? You” he replied, planting a kiss on her forehead.

Meredith moved slightly so that she could look at Andrew. She put her hand on his cheek and looked into his beautiful eyes. “That was really sweet. I’m lucky to have you too” At that, Andrew bent down to give her a slow and tender kiss, showing her all the love he had for her.

Meredith and Andrew spent the afternoon talking, laughing and even chasing one another on the beach. They were happy, in love and any stranger could tell that just by looking at them. Towards the end of the afternoon, Andrew decided it was time to give Meredith her present.

“Can you wait for a moment? I have to go get something in the car”

“Sure, go ahead” Andrew gave her a quick peck before heading to the car. He was starting to get a little anxious. He had put a lot of effort in Meredith’s gift and he hoped that she would like it. But most of all, he hoped she wouldn’t freak out.  
A moment later, Andrew came back with what looked like a present in his hands. Meredith looked at him with a smile, excited to see what it was.

“What is it?” she asked, curious.

“This is your anniversary present” Andrew sat down next to her and handed her the present.

“Oh no, I left yours in the hotel room!”

“Don’t worry, I’ll open it later. But right now, it is time to open yours”

Meredith unwrapped the paper and noticed that the present was a box. She looked at Andrew with a confused face.

“Open it”

She slowly took off the lid and examined the contents of the box. When she saw what was inside, she gasped and smiled from ear to ear.

“Oh, Andrew…”

Inside the box were objects and photos and tickets recounting Andrew and Meredith’s first two years as a couple. Tickets from events they had attended together, little objects which had a meaning for them, photos they had taken over the years… the start of their journey together contained in a box. Meredith took the first photo on the pile and saw that it was the first selfie Andrew and her had ever taken while taking a walk in Seattle.

“I remember that day, we went to the park to get some alone time and we ended up looking at the clouds and imagining characters and funny shapes. It was a wonderful day”

Andrew smiled and kept on observing her. Meredith put the photo back into the box and looked at the other objects. A napkin from their first date, a ticket from their first night out in the cinema, a small note Andrew had written her after their first night together… Those were small objects which could be insignificant to anyone but which had a lot of meaning to Meredith and Andrew. She dug deeper and found a photo of a key. The key she had given to Andrew when she had asked him to move in with her and the kids. She smiled at the memory and put the photo back into the box. Then, she saw a frame with a picture of them with the kids.

“Our first photo all together. It was in the backyard and Maggie was the one who took it. I love that photo” she ran her hand along the picture, remembering the moment.

“This box is amazing, Andrew. I love it so much” she said, looking at him.

“There’s a photo at the bottom of the box you need to look at”

Meredith gave him a curious look and started looking for the photo. After a few seconds, she only found a photo with a question mark on it. She suddenly got even more confused and turned the photo around. It was written “I hope you will say yes…” She was about to ask Andrew what this was all about when she saw him down on one knee in front of her, a jewelry box in his hands. She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth, surprised.

“Meredith, we’ve been together for two years now and those have been the best years of my life. When I first saw you at the hospital I never thought we would be together one day, but then I kissed you at Alex and Jo’s wedding and you were all I was able to think about. I’m glad I accidentally kissed you that day because it made me realize that you are the love of my life. You have such an important place in my life, and so do your kids who I love like my own. You made me a better person, you stood by me during difficult times and I couldn’t be more grateful to you. You are my best friend, my confident, my love and I hope that you will remain so for many more years. So, Meredith Grey, will you marry me?” Andrew finally asked, a bit nervous to hear her answer, but when he saw her smile, he knew that everything would be okay.

“Yes, of course I’ll marry you” Andrew took the ring out of the box and put it on her finger. It was a simple but magnificent ring. Not too big, but not too small either, with a beautiful diamond. Meredith observed her hand and showed it to Andrew, who couldn’t stop smiling, overwhelmed by happiness. He then cupped Meredith’s cheeks and kissed her. She melted into the kiss and enjoyed every second of it. _I have a fiancé_ , she thought.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, what did you think about Andrew's surprise? He is the cutest, isn't he? I hope you enjoyed! See you next week for chapter six, stay safe :)


	6. We have some news

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith and Andrew are back from Italy and annouce their engagement to Maggie and the kids.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you're ready for this new chapter, it's a cute one (well, as always, because there is never enough cuteness, right?) enjoy!!

A few days later, Andrew and Meredith were back from their trip to Italy. As soon as they entered their home, the kids came running into their arms.

“We missed you so much!” they said, hugging their mother before going to Andrew and hugging him as well.

“We missed you too babies! Did you have fun with Auntie Maggie?” Meredith asked them.

“Yes, we had a good time and Auntie Amelia even came to play with us one day. It was so cool”

“Really? That’s great!”

Just at the same time, Maggie entered the room. “Hey guys! Welcome back!”

“Hi, thank you! And thank you for taking such good care of the kids”

“It was no problem, I was glad to spend time with them. How was the trip?”

“It was amazing. We had a really good time” At that, Meredith looked at Andrew and smiled at him. She had enjoyed every second of that trip, but the proposal had made it even better. She had no idea he would propose, obviously, but she didn’t even suspect it. She knew that Andrew loved big gestures: he was the one who said I love you first, he was the one who wanted to tell the world about their relationship… But that, she didn’t see coming. Now that they were engaged, she was more than happy to marry Andrew, happier than she thought she would be about getting married again. Especially to someone who was not Derek. But she knew that she had to move on eventually, she couldn’t stay alone for the rest of her life or restrain herself from happiness. Derek was never coming back, and he would want her to move on, she knew that.

“Speaking of which, go sit on the couch, we have something to tell you” Meredith finally said. She hoped the kids would be happy about her and Andrew getting married. They loved him, there was no doubt about that, but marriage was completely different. Andrew noticed that Meredith was anxious to tell the kids so he came next to her and took her hand.

“It’s going to be okay”

“Well, I hope you’re right” Andrew gently kissed her forehead to give her strength before they headed to the living room where everyone was waiting for them. “So, what Andrew and I wanted to tell you is that…” Meredith felt Andrew squeeze her hand a little and she took a deep breath. “We are getting married”

This was followed by a wave of “Hooray” and screams of joy. Meredith didn’t expect such an enthusiasm and was slightly frightened when she heard her children scream. She looked at Andrew and started laughing, relieved to see that her kids seemed okay with this but also amused to see them act this way. Andrew started laughing as well and took Meredith in his arms, too happy about the kids’ reaction.

“What? Congratulations, it’s amazing! Mer, show us the ring!” Maggie said, also excited for her sister.

Meredith held her hand and proudly showed them the ring. Everyone was speechless at first, admiring the ring and how beautiful it was. They all congratulated Andrew for choosing such a beautiful one. Seconds later, the kids and Maggie hugged the couple, congratulating them.

“I’m really happy for the two of you, you deserve it” Maggie stated.

“Yes, mommy, we are so glad that you are going to marry Andrew” It was little Ellis’s turn to say how happy she was. “We can be a real family now” It warmed Meredith’s heart to hear her daughter say such a thing. She was going to have a second shot at a family life and it was all thanks to Andrew.

“Yes, we can baby” Meredith replied before putting her head on Andrew’s shoulder and taking all the happiness in. She observed her kids and her sister talking and laughing and she couldn’t feel more fulfilled. She had healthy and beautiful kids, amazing sisters and friends and a wonderful man by her side. She finally had the family she had always wanted. Thinking about that, she felt a few tears forming in her eyes. Andrew heard her sniff and slowly bent his head down to look at her.

“Hey, you okay?” he asked her, suddenly worried to see her cry.

“Yes, don’t worry. I was just watching the kids and it made me think about how wonderful and complete my life is since you walked into it. I have everything I need to be happy and you are the reason for that, I can’t thank you enough” Meredith put her hand on Andrew’s cheek and gently stroked it while looking into his beautiful eyes.

“Mer… I have been the happiest man for two years. I love you, and I love the kids and I couldn’t imagine my life without you guys. Trust me, if this is what I get for the rest of my life, then I am complete too” Meredith didn’t say a word but kissed him instead to show him all the love she had for him. No further words needed to be said.

Meredith, Andrew, Maggie and the kids spent the rest of the day together. They played games and watched a movie before Andrew decided to start getting dinner ready.

“Can we help you?” Zola asked him.

“Of course, Zozo. I will need little helpers to prepare this recipe”

“Yay, mommy we’re going to help Drew!” little Ellis told her mother, excited to cook with her siblings and Andrew.

“That’s great, sweetie”

Meredith and Maggie settled down on the couch while Andrew and the kids got busy in the kitchen. Meredith was glad to have some alone time with her sister, she loved spending time with Andrew and her kids but nothing could replace some girl time with her sisters.

“You’re really happy, huh?” Maggie asked when she saw her sister looking at the four loves of her life. Meredith turned her gaze towards Maggie and smiled.

“You have no idea how much. He is so perfect with me and the kids, Maggie. I don’t know how I got so lucky”

“You know, I have to admit that I was surprised at first when you told me you wanted to date him”

“Really? Why?”

“Well, it sort of came out of nowhere and I had no idea you were interested in him in the first place”

“I guess I have Alex and Jo’s wedding to thank for that. He took me by surprise when he kissed me but… it woke something in me”

“Like a magic kiss, huh?” Maggie said, teasing her sister. Meredith looked at her once again and gently slapped her on the shoulder before laughing at what she said. She didn’t really know how to explain what had happened that day but she knew that her sister would understand.

“Stop! It’s not funny! I know it may sound weird but kissing Andrew that day made me feel alive for the first time in years. I didn’t even feel like this when I was dating Nathan. It was…”

“Magical?”

“Yeah…” she said, smiling from ear to ear.

“I’m glad to see you so happy. You deserve it, Mer”

“Thank you. I wish you to find someone like Andrew, to be as happy as I am right now”

“Well, I could really use some of that”

“Don’t worry, it will happen one day. You’re young, beautiful, kind and extremely smart, who wouldn’t want to be with you?”

Maggie smiled and put her head on Meredith’s shoulder. “You’re really sweet. I’m so lucky to have a sister like you” Meredith wrapped her arm around Maggie and put her head on hers. “I’m the lucky one. After Lexie died, I never thought I would have a sister again, let alone two. Now I have you and Amelia and I couldn’t have wished for better sisters”

Meredith and Maggie continued to chat for a little bit before the kids called them for dinner. They all spent a nice evening, with the kids telling funny stories during dinner and making the grown-ups laugh. After dinner, Maggie said goodbye to the family and left the house to go back to her apartment. Meredith and Andrew spent some more time with the kids before it was their bed time.

“Come on kids, time for bed!” Meredith told them.

“Can you tell us a story, Andrew?” Zola asked.

“I’d be happy too” Andrew smiled and followed them upstairs. The kids settled down while Meredith and Andrew sat at the edge of the bed.

“Ok, so, I’m going to tell you a story about my childhood, guys. When I was still in Italy, I went to the funfair with my sister. She wanted to do the haunted mansion but I was too afraid to ride it so she promised to buy me candy if I did it with her. And who can say no to candy?” he said, laughing. “So, we went into the haunted mansion and it turned out that I really liked it. The funny thing is that my sister hated it, she hid her face and clung to me during the entire ride. I ended up getting candy anyway so it was a pretty funny day for me” While Andrew was telling his story, Meredith put her head on his shoulder and watched her kids being captivated by Andrew’s words. They were all very quiet until Andrew finished his story and the kids started to laugh. Meredith observed the scene and her heart melted at the scene unfolding in front of her. Andrew was amazing with the kids, he was always so kind and so patient with them. He was always trying to make them laugh or make them feel better whenever something was wrong. They were not his kids but he sure acted as if they were and this only made Meredith fall in love with him even more.  
After making sure the kids were asleep, Meredith and Andrew decided to go to bed as well, tired from their day. Andrew got under the covers first and Meredith soon snuggled up to him, wrapping her arm around his waist and putting her head on his chest.

“What a day!” Andrew exclaimed after a moment.

“Yeah, good but tiring. I’m glad about the kids’ reaction, though. To be honest, I was a little nervous about it”

“I know, I noticed. But see, everything turned out great. They were thrilled about us getting married! It was so cute, by the way”

Meredith smiled, remembering the way they screamed in happiness. “Oh yeah, so cute!” She looked up at Andrew and put her hand on his cheek. “I can’t wait to be your wife and for you to be officially part of this family” Andrew brought her closer to him and put a brand of hair behind her ear. “And I can’t wait to be your husband” With that, he slowly bent down and kissed her. It was a slow and tender kiss, a way to show her how much she meant to him.  
After a few minutes of laying down in each other’s arms, Andrew suddenly sat down, surprising Meredith who almost fell down the bed.

“Andrew! You scared the hell out of me!” she said, putting her hand on her chest to calm down a little.

Andrew planted a kiss on her cheek. “Sorry, Mer. But I just had an idea!”

“I hope that it’s a good one, given the fact that I almost had a panic attack” she replied, looking falsely angry at him.

Andrew laughed a little before replying. “We should throw an engagement party to tell everyone”

“That’s actually a great idea! When do you want to do it?”

“I don’t know. Next weekend?” Andrew suggested.

“That works for me. I’m excited to see everyone’s reaction!”

“Me too! We can invite all our friends from work and maybe other people we would like to come?”

“Sounds good” Andrew laid down again and opened his arm so that Meredith could get back to her previous position.

“We’ll talk about it tomorrow, I’m too tired right now. Good night” Meredith gave him a quick peck on the lips which Andrew reciprocated. “Good night, Mer”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So what did you guys think? Let me know! I'll see you next week for chapter 7! In the meantime, stay safe :)


	7. The engagement party

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith and Andrew receive their friends and family to announce their engagement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry I should have posted yesterday but I had a crazy day! I hope you will like this new chapter, enjoy!

Today was the day of Meredith and Andrew’s engagement party. The couple had decided to invite their close friends from the hospital, as well as Andrew’s sister and, of course, Maggie and Amelia. No one knew what the party was about as Meredith and Andrew planned to tell their big news during the party. The kids spent the whole morning decorating the house. They put tinsels everywhere around the house and also colored balloons which made it look very festive. They were having fun and they were glad to participate in the party preparations. Meanwhile, Meredith was cleaning and tidying the entire house so that it would be perfect to receive guests, she didn’t really like to clean but, well, someone had to do it. Finally, Andrew being an amazing cook was preparing the food: finger food, appetizers, mixed salads, desserts… He knew exactly what to cook and Meredith couldn’t be more grateful to him for taking care of everything.  
A couple hours later, the house was decorated, the food was done and everyone was dressed up and ready to welcome the guests. The kids were really excited and Meredith even had to tell them to calm down a little. The first ones to arrive were Maggie, Amelia, Link and the baby.

“Hey guys! I’m so glad you’re here” Meredith said when she opened the door to let them in.

Everyone entered the house and the kids immediately ran into their auntie’s arms, happy to see her again. They really missed her now that she didn’t live here anymore and so every visit was a pure joy. The kids then went to see their little cousin and played with him a little, which made the adults very touched.

Amelia looked at the decoration and couldn’t help but notice how colorful it was. “Wow, you went all colors, Mer”

“The kids did the decoration but I think it’s actually pretty good” Meredith replied, proud of her children.

“So, where’s your Italian fiancé?” she asked.

Maggie and Amelia were the only ones to know about Meredith and Andrew being engaged. Meredith had wanted to tell them before telling other people because she couldn’t hide something this big to her sisters.

“He is here” Andrew finally appeared in the living room and greeted everyone before wrapping his arm around Meredith’s waist and kissing her forehead.

“You guys are really cute. I still can’t believe you’re getting married!” Maggie exclaimed.

“Yeah I know, we’re so happy” Meredith planted a kiss on Andrew’s cheek and smiled. They _really_ were happy.

This sweet moment was interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Alex and Jo, carrying a bottle of champagne and some dessert. Meredith welcomed them before they joined the others in the living room. Soon, all the guests were here and the party could officially begin. Finger food was served on the buffet and Andrew only received compliments about it, something which made him really proud. People were eating and chatting while the kids were playing.

“So, Mer, what’s this party about?” Alex asked her. He was her best friend and he knew that she wouldn’t throw a party just like that, for no reason. Something was up, that he was sure of, he just had to find out what.

“Nothing, we just wanted to do something fun so everyone would be reunited” Meredith replied, trying to play dumb.

“Come on, Mer, it’s me! You know you can tell me anything”

Meredith looked at him and finally gave in. “Fine, you’re right! But you’ll have to wait to know, sorry” She smiled and left before he had the chance to add something. She loved teasing Alex and she couldn’t get enough of it.

Meredith looked around the room and took a moment to observe her friends and family. They were all chatting, with some of them laughing from time to time. The kids were playing and seemed to be having a good time as well. At this very moment, she was grateful for everyone in this room. For the first time in years, she felt like her life was finally good on every level. After Derek died, she never thought that she would find happiness again but yet, here she was, happier than ever. She loved every single person in her house and she knew that she was very lucky to have so many people in her life. Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt two arms around her waist.

“Everything ok?” Andrew asked her, putting his head on her shoulder.

“Everything is great. I was just thinking about how lucky I am”

“You deserve it”

“So many people deserve happiness but some never get a glimpse of it. No, trust me, I really am lucky”

Andrew gave her a kiss on the cheek and they stayed like that for a few minutes, just observing their guests and being in each other’s arms. At some point, Andrew broke the silence.

“I think we should serve the next course”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’ll help you”

A couple hours later, Andrew spotted Meredith talking to Richard and Bailey. He slowly made their way towards them and put his hands on Meredith’s shoulders.

“Can I steal her for a moment?” he asked Bailey and Richard.

“Go ahead, Deluca” Richard answered with a smile.

Andrew took Meredith by the hand and dragged her away from the guests. “I think it’s time to tell everyone”

“Yeah, let’s do it” Meredith smiled and went back to the living room, never letting go of Andrew’s hand. She took a spoon and gently tapped a glass with it. “Your attention, please” Everyone looked at the couple, intrigued by Meredith’s call. “So, this party was actually thrown for a particular reason… Andrew and I have some news to share with you” she stopped and looked at Andrew with a smile on her face. “We’re getting married!” she finally said, showing the ring on her finger. Everyone gasped before applauding and waves of “Congratulations” and “hooray” were soon heard in the house. The guests hugged Meredith and Andrew, who couldn’t stop smiling.

“So that’s what you were hiding! I’m really happy for you guys” Alex told Meredith after everyone was done with hugs.

“Thank you, Alex. Remember when I told you I was dating Andrew and you said “As your friend, I hope he makes you happy”?”

“Yeah, I remember that”

“Well, he does make me very happy” At the time, she had no idea that they would end up where they are right now. She had no idea that Andrew would be the second greatest love of her life. And she had no idea that dating him would change her life forever.

A moment later, Andrew was in the backyard playing with the kids while Meredith was sitting on a chair, looking at them. She loved watching Andrew interact with the kids, he was always so good to them and she couldn’t think of a better father figure to her kids than Andrew.

“Hey, Meredith, can I sit with you?” Meredith looked up and saw that it was Carina.

“Of course” she replied with a smile.

“I’m really happy about you and Andrea getting married. I think I’ve never seen him this happy. He always talks about you and the kids and, when he does, he always has that big smile on his face” Carina told her, laughing a little.

“He takes such good care of the kids, he is incredible. He loves them and they love him too”

“Andrea has always had a way with children. When he was a teenager, he would play with our little cousins for hours, pretending to be at tea parties and brushing the girls’ hair just to make them happy”

“Oh yeah! He once told me about all your little cousins when I first asked him if he liked kids. That was the moment I realized that my kids would love him”

“You make him really happy, Meredith, and I can only thank you for that” Carina looked at her and gave her a smile. Meredith had never really had the time to get to know Carina but right now, she had the feeling that the two of them would get along very well in the future.

“He makes me happier than I have been in years. He makes me feel alive and loved. After my husband died, I thought I would never be happy again but then Andrew came along and he made me feel all those things I thought had died with my husband…” Carina listened and put her hand on Meredith’s to bring her comfort. Meredith took a deep breath before going on. “Anyway, he is amazing with us. Just look at him right now and you’ll see what I’m talking about”

Meredith and Carina turned their heads to look at Andrew and the kids. He was running with little Ellis on his back and Zola and Bailey were running behind them. Ellis was holding Andrew’s hands to steady herself and she was laughing her head off while Zola and Bailey were trying to catch her. Andrew started going slower and slower until the two older kids were able to reach them.  
“Ellis! We’re being attacked!” Andrew screamed while the little girl shouted, falsely scared. Zola and Bailey grabbed Andrew’s legs and they started pulling on their sister. Andrew and Ellis let out little screams before he got on his knees and Zola and Bailey were on them. All four of them laughed and they finally hugged each other, laying on the grass. Meredith and Carina watched the scene and laughed at the silliness of the moment. Still hugging the kids, Andrew looked around and noticed his girlfriend and his sister talking and looking at them. He smiled and decided to join them.

“Hey you two, what are you talking about?” Andrew came behind Meredith and wrapped his arms around her neck before planting a kiss on her forehead. Carina watched the exchange and smiled.

Meredith took Andrew’s hands in hers. “Your sister was telling me that she is happy for us”

“Thanks, Carina. We can’t wait to be married and start this new chapter together” he said, squeezing Meredith’s hand.

“How did the kids react when you told them?” Carina asked.

“Very well, they were so excited that we had to calm them down” Meredith laughed, soon followed by Andrew and Carina.

“That’s great. They do look happy when they are around you, Andrea” Andrew was moved by his sister’s words. He knew that she was always sincere with him and that she meant every word of what she had just said. He was really grateful to have a sister like her.

“Well, I hope so. That’s all that matters” he planted one more kiss in Meredith’s hair.

“So, have you started to plan the wedding?”

“Not yet, I think we will start next week, once we have more time, right Mer?” Meredith nodded. “But speaking of that, I wanted to ask you something, Carina” She gave him a questioning look, wondering what this was about.

“Sure, what is it?”

“Well, I wanted to ask you to be my… best woman I guess?” he said, not sure what the equivalent of best man was for a woman.

“Oh mio Dio, Andrea! Of course I will be your best woman!” Carina stood up and hugged her baby brother who reciprocated the hug. “I’m so excited, thank you!” she kissed her brother on the cheek before letting go of him.

“You’re my sister, I couldn’t have anyone else do it” Andrew replied with a smile.

The three of them kept on chatting and soon the backyard was filled with guests who wanted to get some fresh air. Almost everyone was outside now. A few minutes later, something interrupted their conversation.

“Oh!” Meredith suddenly stood up from her chair. “I love this song! Andrew, dance with me” she looked at him and extended her hand to him. Andrew looked at his sister.

“Go, Andrea! Don’t let me keep you” she knew exactly what he was thinking. He kissed her on the cheek before taking Meredith’s hand. Andrew put his hands on Meredith’s waist while she wrapped her arms around his neck. Soon, they started to move to the rhythm of the music. It was a slow dance, the perfect one for two people completely in love. The couple was looking at one another, smiling and their love could be seen from miles away. Everyone was looking at them, thinking that those two were absolutely meant for each other. After a moment, Meredith put her head on Andrew’s chest and looked around her.

“Everyone is staring at us”

“I know, that is because we’re stars but it’s a secret” he replied, whispering at the end. Meredith let out a loud laugh and raised her head again to look at him.

“You’re amazing, you know that?” she told him, smiling.

“That’s because you make me better every day. You and the kids”

“I love you”

“I love you too”

And with that, Andrew kissed Meredith, slowly and tenderly. They didn’t care that everyone was looking at them because the only thing that mattered right now was the love they had for one another and nothing could stop them from showing it to the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I hope you loved all this cuteness!! Let me know what you think! I will see you next week, be safe :)


	8. Looking for a dress

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Meredith goes dress shopping with the girls but she is desperate when she doesn't find the dress of her dreams...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey everyone! I'm so sorry, I should have published two days ago but I got busy (and also forgot a little) Anyway, I hope you will like this chapter!

Maggie and Meredith had been looking at bridal magazines for the past hour but Meredith was having trouble finding the perfect dress for her wedding. There were just so many choices and she had no idea where to start. She didn’t really have a precise idea of the dress she wanted, she just thought that she would fall in love with a dress and that would be it. Yet, until now, none of the dresses she was looking at seemed to be made for her.

“Don’t worry, Mer, you will find it. Maybe we should go to a bridal store?” Maggie suggested.

“Yeah, that might be a good idea. That way I can look at dresses and see how they really are”

“Exactly, and we need to call Amelia and tell her to come with us”

“Of course. Do you think we should ask Carina to come too?” Meredith asked her sister. She had gotten along with Carina pretty well and she knew it would mean a lot to Andrew to know that his sister was part of the wedding preparations.

“Sure, if you want to”

“I think she will be glad to be there. Plus, she is going to be family soon” Meredith said with a smile.

“You’re right, it’s a great idea! So, how about tomorrow afternoon?”

“That works for me, I have my day off”

“Great. I’ll call Amelia and you call Carina to see if they’re both available tomorrow” Maggie said before putting out her phone and heading upstairs. All the while, Meredith dialed Carina’s number and the two of them stayed on the phone for about twenty minutes before Carina had to end the call. She had been surprised but happy when Meredith had asked her to be part of the dress shopping and she had immediately agreed. Meredith really liked Andrew’s sister and she was relieved to get along so well with one of the people he loved most. Maggie came down a few minutes later and told Meredith that Amelia was available the next day.

“It’s settled then! Oh, I can’t wait to see you in a wedding dress” Maggie said with stars in her eyes, acting like a little girl.

Meredith laughed. “I’m excited but also a little stressed out. It is going to be my first wedding dress shopping after all. When I married Derek, we just went to the City Hall and I didn’t even wear a dress”

“Seriously?” Maggie asked, kind of shocked.

“Yeah, we did it to adopt Zola and I didn’t want a big wedding and all but… I don’t know, with Andrew, it’s different. I want a wedding with guests and a reception… Everything” she said, smiling.

“I’m really happy for you two, Mer” Maggie looked at her sister and the only thing she could see was how happy she looked. The moment was interrupted when the front door opened.

“Hey, what are you doing?” Andrew entered the living room and saw bridal magazines everywhere on the table. He made his way towards Meredith and kissed her before sitting down.

“We were just talking about the wedding. How was your day?” she asked him, putting her hand on his knee.

“It was pretty calm, just ordinary stuff. I missed you, though”

“I missed you too” she said before giving him a kiss.

“So, you started looking at dresses? Did you find one?”

Meredith sighed. “No, I can’t seem to find the perfect one in those magazines. But we are going shopping tomorrow so I hope I will” Meredith replied, optimistic.

Andrew wrapped his arm around her shoulders and brought her closer to him. “Hey, don’t worry, I’m sure you will find the dress of your dreams”

“Yeah, Mer! Seeing the dress in real is not the same as seeing it in a magazine. Tomorrow you will come back home with a whole in your bank account” Maggie told her sister while laughing.

“Well, if the perfect dress could be at a reasonable price, I would appreciate it even more”

“Don’t worry too much about the price, okay? It is our wedding and it’s not something you do every day so I want you to have what you want” Andrew said.

Meredith looked into his beautiful eyes and brought her hand to his cheek. “You’re really sweet”

Andrew smiled before he changed the subject. “Do you want to go to the park with the kids?”

“Sure, that’s a great idea. The kids will be thrilled! I’m going to call them” Meredith got up and left the living room before stopping at the bottom of the stairs. “Zola, Bailey, Ellis come down! We’re going to the park!” After a few seconds, doors were opened and the kids came down, squealing with delight.

**

Half an hour later, Andrew, Meredith and the kids were walking in the park. The atmosphere was calm and relaxing, there was no traffic sound, only birds singing and tree leaves moving with the wind. The park was pretty big with animals, playgrounds… everything to make the kids happy. And there was even a Japanese garden which made the place even more peaceful. The little family enjoyed the moment, they took pictures, they played tag… At some point, the kids asked to go on the playground and Meredith and Andrew took the opportunity to sit on a bench where they could watch the kids.

“It’s really nice here, we should come more often” Meredith put her head on Andrew’s shoulder while he wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Yeah, I have always loved it here. It’s a way to take a break from the city, from work…” Andrew paused for a moment. “The kids seem to be having a good time”

“They love the park, they have all the space they want to play and sometimes they even make friends” she replied, looking at her kids with a smile.

The couple stayed like this in each other’s arms looking at the kids for a few minutes before Andrew broke the silence.

“So, dress shopping with your sisters tomorrow?”

“Yes, and also Carina” she replied while looking at him.

Andrew met her eyes and a smile appeared on his face. He found it really sweet of Meredith to take his sister to her wedding dress shopping and he couldn’t be more grateful to her. “You invited my sister?”

“Of course. I really like her and she is going to be family soon. Plus, I know that it means a lot to you so I didn’t hesitate a second”

Andrew bent down and gave her a kiss on the lips. “Thank you, Mer. I really appreciate it”

“My pleasure” she replied before kissing him again.

**

The following day, Meredith, Maggie, Amelia and Carina were on their way to the wedding dress store. Maggie and Amelia had selected several stores in the city so that Meredith could have plenty of choices. The two sisters were really excited to share this special moment with Meredith and they couldn’t wait to see her try some dresses on. They were really happy about Andrew and Meredith’s wedding and about the fact that their sister had found love and happiness again.  
After parking the car, the four women entered the first store on the list. They were greeted by a nice, middle-aged woman.

“Hello ladies and welcome. Who is the lucky bride?”

“That would be me” Meredith answered with a smile.

“What kind of dress are you looking for, dear?”

“I want something simple but elegant, with straps or short sleeves. And there can be lace too but it is not mandatory”

“Well, I’m sure we can find a dress which you will like. Come with me”

Meredith, Maggie, Amelia and Carina followed the shop assistant through the store. She showed them a few dresses, Meredith declined some dresses which were not at her taste but she eventually chose to try on two dresses. She went into the fitting room while the other girls were waiting outside, dying to see Meredith in the dress.

“I can’t wait to see you!” Maggie exclaimed, clearly more than excited.

“Okay, I think we lost Maggie…” Amelia said, making Carina and Meredith laugh. “So, Carina, are you excited about your brother getting married?”

“Yes, I am” she said with a smile. “I see how happy he is with Meredith and the kids and I know that they are meant to be together” Meredith, who was still trying her dress on, heard the girls talking and Carina’s words warmed her heart. She was really glad to share this day with her too.

“I’m done!” Meredith stated before she got out of the fitting room. She placed herself in front of the mirror and observed herself. The dress was long, straight and body-hugging. It had straps, just like Meredith wanted, and it was simple.

Carina was the first one to say something “Wow, you’re beautiful!” Maggie and Amelia nodded to Carina’s comment and admired their sister.

“It’s beautiful but… I don’t know, I don’t think this one is for me” On paper, the dress was perfect and everything she wanted. But in real… she couldn’t see herself wearing this dress on her wedding day. “Sorry, guys. I’m just not taken with it”

“It’s okay, Mer. There are still a lot of dresses to see! Go try the second one on”

With that, Meredith went back into the fitting room and took off the dress before putting on the second one she had selected. Unfortunately, it was the same thing for the other dress. The four women left the bridal store, not without thanking the shop assistant for her kindness, and went back to the car. Meredith was feeling a little down and disappointed by this first dress shopping. When she entered the store, she thought that she would find her dress immediately but her hopes vanished bit by bit.

“Is everything okay, Meredith?” Carina asked.

“Not really. I guess I’m just disappointed. I didn’t think that finding a wedding dress would be so difficult” she sighed.

“Hey, don’t worry, I’m sure you will find the perfect dress in another store! There must be a dress made for Meredith Grey somewhere”

Meredith looked at Carina and laughed a little at what she said. She had the same way of making people feel better as Andrew. “Thank you” she replied, smiling.

A few minutes later, Carina, Meredith and her sisters arrived at the second store. Meredith was feeling a bit better, thanks to Carina and her kind words. The women entered the store and Meredith instantly gasped, all heads turning to look at her.

“What is it, Mer?” Amelia asked.

“The dress” she said, pointing to a magnificent white dress at the back of the store. “That’s the one, guys”

She looked at the shop assistant and asked her if she could try the dress on. The shop assistant gave her the dress and she practically ran to the fitting room, something which made the three other girls laugh.

“She’s becoming one of those crazy brides…” Amelia stated, earning laughs from everyone.

Meredith stayed in the fitting room for a moment before she was ready “Are you ready guys?” When she heard everyone yell yes, she came out of the fitting room. As soon as she was in front of them, all girls gasped. Meredith was simply gorgeous. The dress was long but just the perfect length, it had short sleeves with lace above the bust but also on the back which made it very elegant. Finally, there were small and discreet lace flowers on the shoulders. Meredith looked at herself in the mirror, ran her hands along the dress and she just knew. Knew that she would wear this dress on her wedding.

“This is the one” she told the girls with emotion in her voice. She looked at herself once again and couldn’t help but imagine the look on Andrew’s face when he would see her with this dress. Oh, he wouldn’t be disappointed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading! I hope you liked this chapter. Let me know what you think! See you at the end of the week :)


	9. To have and to hold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day of Meredith and Andrew's wedding is finally here and they couldn't be happier.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone!! I'm so sorry I stopped updating ! I got caught up with life and also kind of lost motivation. But I didn't want to leave the story without a proper ending so I wrote a final chapter for you all. I hope you will like it!

A month later, the wedding preparations were almost done. The wedding would take place a week later and everyone was really excited. Meredith and Andrew had decided to have a small wedding with only friends and family so that they could get married sooner. They had rented a beautiful castle outside the city so that they could do the ceremony outside and still have a place to go to if the weather was bad.

“So, is everything ready for next week?” Meredith asked her sisters, who had been in charge of the wedding planning.

Maggie was the first one to respond. “Don’t worry, Mer. Everything is done and ready. Now, you just have to relax and think about what you want to do with your hair and makeup. Do you want me to hire a professional?”

Meredith took a few seconds to think before she answered. “No, I don’t think so. I’d rather have one of you to do it, I think I’d be more comfortable. Would it be okay?” she asked, looking nervously at Amelia and Maggie.

“Oh my god Mer, yes! We would be thrilled to do it! Right Amelia?”

Amelia smiled from ear to ear and nodded. She was so glad to share this special moment with her sisters. “Of course! Nothing would make me happier” Amelia came across the table and hugged Meredith. “Thank you for trusting us with this.” She looked over to Maggie who was watching them, smiling. “Come here, Maggie! Sister hug!” The three of them hugged for a moment, happiness flowing out of them.

**

A week later the big day was finally here. Maggie, Amelia and Carina had taken care of decorating the castle as they wanted it to be a surprise for the bride and groom. The decoration was very simple but still elegant and beautiful with a mix between white and pink gold. Fortunately, the day was a very sunny one and the weather was perfect: hot enough but not too much for it to be unbearable. The ceremony would be celebrated outside, facing the small lake which was present on the property. Ribbons had been put around every chair, flowers were scattered all along the aisle and around the altar. Everyone was to meet at the castle and the ceremony would start at eleven.

Meredith was in a room with her sisters, putting the final touches to her look. She had asked her sisters to make her hair a little wavy so that it would give it volume but still be natural. Her makeup was really simple, she had chosen a copper-colored eyeshadow which made her eyes even bluer than they already were. Her bouquet was made of white and light pink roses in order to match the decoration.

Maggie put down the curling machine and looked at Meredith. “There I’m done! You’re so beautiful” she said, with tears in her eyes.

“No please, don’t start crying otherwise I’ll cry too” Meredith replied.

“Yeah, yeah, you’re right” she said, drying her tears. “We wouldn’t want to ruin your makeup”

Meredith hugged her sisters, thinking about how happy she was to have them.

**

In another room of the castle, Andrew was getting ready as well with the help of his sister. Carina stayed with him the whole time, not wanting to miss this special moment.

“I can’t believe my baby brother is getting married” she said bringing her hands to her face and holding back tears. “I’m so proud of you”

Andrew slowly approached her and smiled. “Thank you, it means a lot coming from you. I’m glad you’re here with me today”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Carina pulled her brother into a hug. “I love you so much, I hope you know that”

Andrew kissed her hair gently “I do, and I love you too big sister”

After a moment, Carina broke the hug and laughed “Ok, enough with the cheesy scene. You ready?”

“More than ever”

**

“Are you ready to go down?” Amelia asked.

Meredith looked at herself in the mirror and smiled. “Yes, I’m ready. I have been ready for a long time now”

Meredith hugged both her sisters before going down and preparing herself to walk down the aisle. Richard was waiting for her behind the door.

“You look beautiful, Meredith” he said with a smile, giving her a kiss on the cheek.

“Thank you, Richard. And thank you for walking me down the aisle”

“Nothing would make me happier” He looked at her while she took her arm. “Ready?”

“Ready”

The doors opened and the Wedding March started to resonate in all the garden. Zola and Ellis had been designated as flower girls while Bailey was the ring bearer. While walking down the aisle, Meredith looked at people around her. She noticed Bailey, smiling, who winked at her. She spotted Alex and Jo, Jackson and Maggie, Amelia and Link… Her heart filled with happiness at the sight of all the people she loved reunited here and now for her wedding. As she got closer, she saw her kids waving at her, they looked so happy and she couldn’t help but smile. And then, she saw Andrew, her future husband, and she noticed that he was looking at her in astonishment. He looked handsome as ever in his black suit and he had that smile on which always made her weak in the knees.  
Richard let go of her arm and gave her a kiss on the forehead before sitting down on one of the chairs in the front row. Meredith stood in front of Andrew as he took her hands in his.

“You look so beautiful” he said, while looking at her with sparkles in his eyes.

Meredith gave him the prettiest smile “You’re not so bad yourself”

They turned around to look at Alex, who was asked to officiate Meredith and Andrew’s wedding. He had been really happy to get such an important role on his best friend’s wedding.

“We are gathered here today to celebrate the love between Meredith and Andrew. Marriage is a commitment in life, where two people can find and bring out the very best in each other…”

While Alex was speaking, Andrew and Meredith couldn’t take their eyes off each other. They were finally about to become husband and wife. Truth be told, Meredith never thought she would get married again, but that was before Andrew came along and changed her life. She was so happy with him, something which she didn’t thought possible after losing her first great love. But now, she couldn’t be more grateful for having crossed Andrew’s path. Alex’s next words interrupted her thoughts.

“I think it is now time for the bride and groom to exchange their vows” Alex said with a smile.

Andrew decided to go first. “When I was young, my mother used to tell me that there is a person for each one of us and that, if we’re lucky enough, we get to meet that person one day. Today, I can say that she was definitely right and yet, it was not meant to be from the beginning. We were colleagues for many years before something even happened between us. The day that changed my life forever was Alex and Jo’s wedding where I made a fool of myself and kissed you. I was so ashamed but now I’m really glad I kissed you that day because it represents the moment I fell in love with you. This came as a surprise but I think it was the most wonderful surprise I was ever given. Meredith, you’ve made me a better man, you changed my life for the better and you made me realize that true love exists. You gave me a place in your life, in your children’s life, and I never thought I could be this happy one day. I love you with all my heart and I promise that I will love you for the rest of my life”

By the time he was done, Meredith was crying and Andrew wiped away the tears from her cheeks. She smiled and took a deep breath before speaking. “Andrew, there was a time in my life when I felt alone and sad and like life had no meaning at all. I was living for my children, but I wasn’t really there. But then, you kissed me at that wedding and you woke up something inside of me. I felt alive for the first time in god knows how long. You made me laugh again, you made me love again and I couldn’t be more grateful to you. Andrew, you saved me from myself. I love you too and I will spend every day of my life showing it to you”

Andrew smiled, tears threatening to fall, and kissed Meredith’s hands to show her that he felt the same way.

“Bailey, come and give us the rings” Alex said, gesturing towards the little boy.

Andrew took Meredith’s hand and slid the ring onto her finger. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you”

Meredith then took Andrew’s hand. “I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you.”

At that point, Meredith’s sisters as well as Jo and Bailey were crying their hearts out. They were so happy for the couple that they couldn’t restrain themselves. Then came the final moment of the ceremony.

“Do you, Andrew Deluca, take Meredith Grey to be your lawful wedded wife?” Alex asked.

“I do” Andrew replied, smiling.

“And do you, Meredith Grey, take Andrew Deluca to be your lawful wedded husband?”

“I do” Meredith said.

“By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride” he said, looking at Andrew.

Andrew wasted no time and kissed Meredith like his life depended on it. At that moment, everything else around them became silent. They were in their own little bubble, lost in their own world. They broke the kiss a few seconds later and looked at each other, happy.

“It is my great honour and privilege to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Deluca!” Alex shouted. He then gave a hug to the newly married couple before the kids ran to join them. Ellis threw herself in Andrew’s arms and hugged him tightly.

“Well, everyone, it’s time to party now! You can all move to the reception” Meredith said.

The reception took place in the castle’s garden and the decoration was perfect. White tents had been placed, in case there would be bad weather, and Maggie had managed to put lights all around them so that the place looked absolutely magical.  
People settled down and Meredith and Andrew made their entry so that they could have their first dance as husband and wife. Soon, notes of the song “Make You Feel My Love” by Adele filled the room. Andrew took Meredith’s hand and they became to move to the rhythm of the music.

“I can’t believe we’re finally married” Andrew told his wife. He tightened his hold on her waist to bring her closer to him.

Meredith wrapped her arms around his neck and put her forehead on his. “Me neither. This day was perfect, it almost feels like a dream”

“Well, if it’s a dream, I never want to wake up from it” Andrew slowly whispered to her.

“Me neither” Meredith closed the small distance between them and gave him a sweet kiss. The two of them kept on dancing until the song ended and they were forced to part.

The evening went on perfectly, people danced, laughed, ate and they all had a wonderful time as a big family. Before the reception was over, Richard asked Meredith for one last dance. He took her hand and pulled her on the dancefloor.

“I’m happy for you, Meredith. You look radiant thanks to Andrew and I’m really glad you found someone like him” Richard told her.

Meredith felt tears building in her eyes and her vision blurred a little. “Thank you so much. Andrew is perfect to me, and he makes me really happy” she said, truthfully.

“When I look at the two of you, I see true love. I know you already had one great love, but I’m glad you found someone again who makes you happy. And I can tell, Andrew will be your second big love story”

Meredith smiled and slowly nodded. “Thank you, for everything. You know, I have always thought of you as a father. You’ve always been there for me and I’m so grateful to have you in my life”

“And I have always thought of you as my daughter” he replied, taking her in his arms to give her a hug. The song ended and the both of them parted.

Meredith looked around the room and spotted her husband wishing a good night to the last guests who were still there. He noticed her looking at him and moved towards her.

“Hey, everything ok?” he asked, wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Yes, everything is perfect. I love you” she said, putting her hand on his cheek.

“I love you too” He kissed her deeply, a kiss which showed her all the love he felt for her. “So, shall I bring you to our hotel room, Mrs. Deluca?” he grinned at her.

“You better” she replied before kissing him once again. After that, Andrew took her hand and guided her towards the castle where they would spend their first night as husband and wife. And saying they didn’t get much sleep is an understatement.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, that's it guys. Thank you for reading my story, giving kudos or commenting, it really means a lot to me. And again, sorry for not updating sooner. See you one day and, in the meantime, be safe :)

**Author's Note:**

> So, I don't know how many chapters there will be but I have a lot of ideas so it might be long !! Also, there will be a lot of characters so I couldn't list them all.


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